Wood brothers



(NoModel.)

G. A. WATKINS. DEVICE PQR ASSEMBLING GLASPS.

No. 444,999. Patented Jem. zo, 1891.

7 wml/59s s; wf/w09.' I am?) By JLM/m4 i@ 9 Arm/Mfrs UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

GARDNER A. VVATKINS, OF GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HAY' `WOODBROTHERS du OO., OF SAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR ASSEMBLING CLASPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,996, dated January20, 1891.

Application filed .Tune 80, 1890. Serial No. 357,283. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that l, GARDNER A. WATKINs, of Gardner, in the county ofTorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedDevice for Assembling Olasps, of which the following' is a full, clear,and eX- act description.

My invention relates to improvements in a device for receiving,collecting, or assembling :o metal clasps and retaining them in aposition such that the back of onelies next to the face of another, witha view to their further use in the process of coupling or splicingsplints,

cane, and other similar material.

My invention is intended chieil y for assembling that variety of claspsusedin the manufacture of cane, willow, or rattan furniture; and theobject of my invention is to produce a device by means of which theclasps may zo be held in such a manner that they may be automaticallyfed from the receptacle in which they are lcontained.

To this end my invention consists in a hol low receptacle having itsinner surface shaped 2 5 to correspond with the shape of the clasps andin means for filling the receptacle with the clasps. This constructionwillbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompany- 3o ing drawings, forminga partof this specification, in which similar letters of referenceindicate,correspondingparts in all the figures.

Figure lis a broken front elevation, partly in section, showing` themagazine for holding the clasps and the means for llingthe same. Fig. 2is a side elevation of a modified form of magazine. Fig. 3 is a rearelevation of another modified forni of magazine. Fig. 4 is across-section on the line 4 4 of Eig. 2,

4o lshowing a clasp in the bottom of the maga* zine. Fig. 5 is across-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, showing also a clasp within themagazine. Fig. 6V is a detailed perspective view of a magazine similarto that shown in Fig.

3, but with the covers turned from the top and bottom of the same, themagazine being somewhat shortened. Fig. 7 is a detailed side elevationof the magazine shown in connection with the filling mechanism in Fig.l, and

5o Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the same on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

In Fig. l the feed-rolls A are arranged-one above the other and may beof any approved type, and the strip of sheet-brass B or other materialfrom which the clasps are cut is fed through the rolls, over the die D,and beneath the punch O, said punch being' shaped to cut a desired formof clasp. The die D is mounted on a suitable support D and has avertical opening therein, as indicated by the dotted 6o lines, saidopening corresponding in shape to the shape of the punch C and to theclasps which are out thereby. A tube E is fixed to the support D anddepends therefrom, said tube being shaped to correspond with the shapeof the clasps and being attached to the support so as to align with theopening through the die. As adapted to the form of clasp shown inconnection with the invention, the tube is provided with longitudinal 7oribs e, adapted to project between the widened ends of the clasp. Thetube is also provided at its lower end with the slideway e', in which ismounted a gate f, provided with a suitable handle f and adapted to closethe lower entrance of the tube when the magazine G is removed frombeneath it.

The magazine G is composed of two similar members having interlockingshoulders g. The magazine has a central opening G ex- 8o tendinglongitudinally through it, and pro` jecting into the opening on oppositesides are the longitudinal ribs g2, which project between the widenedends of the clasps J, and thus hold the clasps in position. The magazineis provided at each end with a sliding gate g, adapted to close theopening therein.

Then the magazine is to Vloe filled, it is mounted in the brackets H andH', beneath the tube E, and in alignment with the tube. 9o The magazineis held in its position by a suitable thumb-screw 7i, extending throughone of the brackets and impinging on the magazine, although any suitablemeans may be employed to hold it in a vertical position. The bore of themagazine must align with the bore of the tube E, and any suitable meansmay be employed to bring the two bores into alignment. A tube K, havingsuitable ears K', by means of which it may be attached to roo a support,is mounted beneath the brackets Il and H so as to vertically align withthe magazine G and with the tube E. The tube has a slot 7c extendinglongitudinally throughout nearly its entire length, and in which movesthe earL of the rod or follower L. A 5 cord Z is attached to the ear Lof the follower, said cord extending over the pulley It on the bracketII and having at its outer end a weight M. Then the magazine G is inposition and the gates gtherein opened, the weight M forces the followerupward into the magazine G, and when the rollers A and punch C are setin motion the clasps J will be fed one after another into the tube G andwill gradually force the follower downward until the magazine is full;but the pressure on the follower on the bottom of the clasps will enablethen to be compactly packed in the magazine and will prevent them frombeing tilted out of position. Vhen the magazine is'full, the rollers andpunch are stopped, the gate f in the tube E is closed to prevent theclasps in the tube from dropping out, the gates in the magazine G areclosed, and the magazine is removed, another one inserted in its place,and the operation repeated.

The magazine is placed in a machine specially adapted for the purpose,the gates are opened, and the clasps are automatically fed therefrom,and from the foregoing description it will be seen that the clasps willall be ready for use and that their faces will all be in the samedirection.

In Fig, 2 I have shown a modified form of magazine G, said magazinehaving upon opposite sides the parallel rods N, adapted to fit betweenthe widened ends of the clasps J and having upon opposite sides and atright angles with the rods N the thin parallel strips o, the rods N andthe strips o being of the same length and forming the sides of themagazine. The rods and strips are held in position by the rings n, whichhave central bends n upon opposite sides and adapted to hold the rods Nin position to engage the clasps. The magazine is also provided withsuitable sliding gates n2 at top and bottom.

In Figs. 3, 5, and 6 I have shown another modified form of magazine Gb,composed of a tube I), of sheet metal, having upon opposite sides theinwardly-extending V-shaped portions P, which project between thewidened ends of the clasps J and hold the clasps in position. rlhe tubeis strengthened by thin metallic rings q, which extend around the outercircumference of the tube. A rod p ex tends through one of the V-shapedportions of the tube P, andhas a right-angled bend p at each end,whichextends across the openings to the tube. A cover r, shaped to correspondwith the tube, is fixed to the bent portion p ofthe rod p at each end ofthe tube and serves as a cover for the tube. It will be seen that therod p forms an axis for the covers r, and that the)7 may be turnedsimultaneously to open or close the tube P. The magazines G and Gb arefilled and used in the same manner as the magazine G, and other forms ofmagazines may bev used, if desired, the essential feature of myinvention, so far as the magazineis concerned, being` to shape theinterior of the magazine to fit the clasps and to provide it withsuitable gates at top and bott-om.

Having thus fully described my invention, Ifclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- I. A device for assembling clasps, consisting,essentially, of a hollow die on which the clasps are cut, the opening inthe die corresponding to the shape of the clasps, and ahollow magazineadapted to ali gn with the opening in the die, thebore of the magazinecorresponding to the bore of the die-opening, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a device for assembling clasps, the combination, with a hollow diehaving an opening corresponding to the shape of the die, of a magazinehaving a central opening therein corresponding in shape to the shape ofthe dieopening, said magazine having suitable gates at top and bottom,substantially as described.

3. In a device for assembling clasps, the combination, with a hollow diehaving an opening therein corresponding in shape to the shape of theclasps, and a tube aligning with the opening of the die and having itsinner bore shaped to correspond with the dieopening, said tube having atits lower end a gate adapted to close the same, of a magazine adapted toalign with the'tube, said magazine having its inner bore shaped tocorrespond with the bore of the tube and having a suitable gate at eachend thereof, substantially as described.

4:. In a device for assembling clasps, the combination, with a diehaving an opening therein corresponding in shape to the shape of theclasp, and a magazine aligning with the die-opening and having a centralopening therein corresponding in shape to the shape of the clasps, of avertically-movable follower mounted in a suitable support and adapted toextend normally through the opening in the magazine, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a device for assembling clasps, the combination, with a hollow diehaving an opening therein corresponding in shape to the shape of theclasps, and a magazine having a central opening therein adapted to alignwith the opening in the die and shaped vto correspond therewith, of avertically-slotted IOO IIO

tube supported beneath the magazine, a follower mounted in the tube andadapted to extend into the magazine, said follower having a lateral earextending through the slot of the tube, and a weighted cord extendingover a suitable pulley and adapted to press the follower normallythrough the magazine, substantially as described.

6. In a device for assembling clasps, a hollow magazine having a centrallongitudinal bore therein shaped to t the clasps, substantially asdescribed,

7. In a device for assemblin g clasps, a magazine having a centrallongitudinal bore therein shaped to correspond with the shape of theclasps, said magazine having suitable gates for closing` the endsthereof, substantially as described.

8. A device for assembling clasps, consisting, essentially, of a hollowTmagazine having its bore shaped to correspond with the shape of theclasp, and means for packing the clasps back to face Within themagazine, substantially as described.

9. In a device for assembling clasps, the combination, with a hollowmagazine having its bore shaped to correspond to the shape of theclasps, of means for packing the clasps under pressure within themagazine, substan- Joially as described.

GARDNER A. WATKINS.

Witnesses:

WARREN B. HU'ToHINsoN, EDGAR TATE.

